Catfish with Royal knife

[HarleyK]

Howdy,

I've got a royal knife, by now about 1ft, with a dat and Odoe. Currently, the cleanup crew are spotted raphael. Some detritus is accumulating between my plants, and I generally use catfish to create enough movement on the ground to move stuff into the filter inlet.
Any thoughts what smallish cats I could introduce that wouldn't get eaten?
I was thinking of Pictus (Angelicus) catfish, but they are only 2'' in the store and max out under 5''. Their max size is great for me. But: What's food fish size for royal knives?
Also, I wouldn't want to see my plants dug up...which is why I'd want to go as small as possible with the cats.

Thanks,
HarleyK

 

[mattmez]

If you wants a center piece... Get a chaca chaca!!

 

[HarleyK]

Thanks. Great fish, but I was hoping for something more active that stirs up detritus and keeps it off the substrate, into the filter.

 

[mattmez]

Pictus ornatus are great!

 

[Linh Nguyen]

My 18" clown knife doesn't touch the cories or clown loaches in their with it, only eats Hikari sticks. It has never been fed live food.

 

[HarleyK]

My 18" clown knife doesn't touch the cories or clown loaches in their with it, only eats Hikari sticks. It has never been fed live food.

This is great info, thanks!!!
Mine has never gotten live, either.
Did yours grow up with cories? Or are they now simply too small to be a snack?

 

[Linh Nguyen]

The cories and loaches were in there first, the ck was tiny when first introduced, not much bigger than the loaches and was intimated by the activity of the clown loaches. Now that it's 18+" the loaches don't bother it much . For some weird reason the bichirs keep pecking at the ck's eyes, good thing the bichirs are clumsy swimmers.

 

[Fishy-Botany]

Hoplos!

 

[HarleyK]

Hoplos!

Nice fish. Got personal experience with that combo?

 

[Fishy-Botany]

Sorry, not with clown knives. They do get along great with my juvenile black ghost knife